What are natural deodorant ingredients and how do they work?

Perhaps you’ve read some of the popular articles about the potential health benefits of ditching conventional deodorants in favour or a natural deodorant, or maybe you’re looking for an eco friendly alternative to traditional deodorants; either way, if you’re looking for advise about natural deodorants, you’ve come to the right place!

Its worth noting, before we begin, that if you’ve heard claims linking traditional antiperspirants to breast cancer, the research on that front is really quite limited. We’re proud to boast the health benefits of natural deodorants, but we don’t believe in doing so using scare tactics!

How do natural deodorants work?

Sweating is an entirely natural process, with your sweat glands doing their job to keep your body cool. That said, we agree that the moisture and body odor can be very unpleasant! Believe it or not, though, it’s not actually sweat that’s behind that unpleasant odor, it’s actually the mixing of sweat with natural odor causing bacteria on the skin that causes the smell.

While regular antiperspirant deodorants feature chemicals such as triclosan, propylene glycol, parabens, aluminium, alcohol, preservatives and artificial fragrances, there is a better way to handle body odor!

Natural deodorant is an effective and natural method of eliminating odor from a person’s body. These feature nourishing natural ingredients such as shea butter, coconut oil, along with ingredients with antibacterial properties such as baking soda, witch hazel and tea tree oil. Ingredients such as bamboo powder and arrowroot powder help to absorb any moisture.

The majority are scented with essential oils such as tea tree oil and lavender, which can help you stay smelling fresh from morning to night. The essential oil type will vary depending entirely on your preference, but before selecting the best deodorant for you, consider the benefits of each type of oil – other than the smell. If you are prone to skin irritation, there are even natural deodorants for sensitive skin! Some of these still feature a subtle fragrance, while others are fragrance free. Many of these are free from baking soda, as this antibacterial ingredient can cause allergic reactions or skin irritations in some people.

Tell me the difference between antiperspirant and deodorant?

Before you start with the nitty gritty on natural Deodorant Ingredients, you must learn the basic distinctions between antiperspirants and deodorants. An antiperspirator is intended to stop sweat on your arms (which leads to antiperspiration). Typical anti-perspirants contain aluminum in their formulas to effectively block out sweat glands, and ingredients like triclosan to kill any natural bacteria on the skin. Many feature alcohol and other ingredients that can be harsh on sensitive underarm skin.

Deodorant has the dual goal of reducing body odor caused by bacteria growing on wet armpits and absorbing the sweat. If you opt for natural deodorants, you can rest assured that you are using a product that works with your body, not against it. Instead of blocking up your pores, you are allowing your body to cool down natural and rid itself of toxins- the job of your deodorant will be to fight against any natural bacteria that exists on your skin, to absorb extra moisture and to keep you smelling fresh all day. The ingredients will be much more gentle than your regular deodorant, and so your skin will reap the benefits! Most natural ingredients tend to be plastic free and kinder to the environment, plus you’ll easily find a natural deodorant with plant based ingredients in you are vegan.

Why natural deodorant is better?

Natural deodorants are the best choice for many people since they do not include chemicals such as parabens, aluminum, artificial fragrance and 

other ingredients found in traditional deodorants that can cause skin irritation. Other potentially harmful chemicals typically contained in deodorant are: chlorine, which may affect your thyroid, triloben, and bleach, which irritate the tummy.

Meanwhile, when you pick a natural deodorant, you’re likely to find gentle ingredients with clear benefits: shea butter, aloe vera and coconut oil which moisturise, and essential oils with natural antibacterial properties to fight bacteria without harming your skin or blocking your pores. You’ll usually find cornflour, arrowroot powder or bamboo powder in the mix too, these can help absorb any moisture when you’re sweating. This mixture of powerhouse ingredients can effectively fight body odor, without relying on aluminum like antiperspirant deodorants typically do.

What are the ingredients in natural deodorant? Simple recipes to make at home                   

It’s entirely possible to make your own natural deodorant with a relatively short list of ingredients, which might include bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda, arrowroot, shea butter, coconut oil and some essential oils to your fragrance preference. Do be aware though that homemade deodorants won’t have been vigorously tested like all of our brands have been! If you do decided to make your own natural deodorant, be sure to test on a small area of skin first, and watch out for any skin reactions.

Most homemade deodorant recipes have similar ingredients – baking soda or cornstarch. Choose essential oils that are good for cooking recipes, think about what scents you like and how you use them. There are also options for ladies including lavender, sage, and lemon. Cypress, Rosemary or Bergamot are good choices. The scent is good for using patchouli, frankincense and tea tree oils. The beauty of making your own is you can create a natural deodorant scent free in case of allergies  orwith a scent completely to your own taste!

The pros and cons of natural deodorant

There’s no doubt that we have become used to traditional deodorants, which typically contain an antiperspirant to eradicate body odor by stopping us from sweating altogether! However, a quick look at ingredients lists of conventional deodorants might make you wonder what you are applying to your armpits every day- for example, products labeled antibacterial often contain triclosan, which is thought to pass readily through to the blood stream and can mimic estrogen.

Natural deodorants can be a much better option for sensitive skin, and are often better for the environment too. The research may be unclear as to health benefits, however its no stretch to imagine that natural deodorants may be healthier than an antiperspirant deodorant which ultimately works against your body’s natural processes.

Some people do worry about body odor when using a natural deodorant, particularly during what is known as the transition period when you first swap to a natural deodorant. There can be a short period when you are more prone to a little body odor, however this stage normally passes in a few days or weeks and is easily treated with extra showers and keeping your natural deodorant to hand!

Should I swap to a natural deodorant? Here’s the bottom line!

This is entirely down to what suits your lifestyle! However, at Baba Me we feel very strongly that ingredients lists speak for themselves- if you review the ingredients of our deodorants which are safe for even kids to use, you’ll find a list of safe, gentle ingredients compared to the complicated ingredient names you’ll find on a conventional antiperspirant deodorant. Many of our eco conscious customers are also particularly proud to swap to one of our plastic free deodorants!